US urges talks on political reforms in South Sudan amid IGAD demand for inclusive process

January 31, 2014 (ADDIS ABABA) – The US special envoy to the two Sudans, Donald Booth, has urged South Sudan’s government to engage in talks on political reforms, pointing out that governance issues that caused the current armed conflict need to resolved to achieve lasting peace.

Since violence broke out in the new nation in mid-December, Booth has worked together with the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediators to end hostilities between the two warring parties.

The new nation needs to “establish frameworks and principles for creating more democratic institutions”, said Booth in statements to the press on the sidelines of an IGAD summit on Friday in the Ethiopian capital to discuss the six-week-old conflict.

Booth said questions around the formation of more meaningful institutions, governance, social structure, and the organisation of political parties in South Sudan needed to be addressed, adding that these “fundamental questions should be embodied in the constitution of the country”.

The US special envoy’s statements reflect the dominant idea in Washington that the current crisis unfolded due to South Sudan’s lack of necessary constitutional and institutional structures allowing a democratic and transparent governance.

“The current crisis brings home the fact that South Sudan’s political institutions were much too weak and unable to manage the competing ambitions and other demands of a new state. Its army - more a coalition of competing militias than a unified military - fragmented in the crisis,”, former US special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan Princeton Lyman wrote in an article for the New York Times.

Booth and the US ambassador to South Sudan, Susan Page, met president Barak Obama on 24 January after the signing of a cessation of hostilities agreement and briefed him on the deal. The meeting further discussed the steps forward needed to restore peace and stability in the world’s newest nation.

US officials were criticised by lawmakers and commentators for failing to avert the armed conflict and ignoring different warning signs that had emanated from Juba prior to the outbreak of violence.

IGAD WANTS INCLUSIVE PROCESS

Meanwhile, regional leaders from IGAD have demanded that talks on political reforms in South Sudan be inclusive and provide an opportunity for nationwide consultations on the political agenda of the peace process.

At an extraordinary summit to discuss the South Sudan crisis, regional bloc leaders, directed their three mediators tasked with monitoring the peace process to develop an inclusive framework for upcoming negotiations.

IGAD special envoys have been asked to “develop a framework for the next phase of negotiations in South Sudan, including specific modalities on structure, representation, and timeframe, so as to ensure dialogue is truly inclusive,” a statement released at the end of the summit said.

IGAD leaders further directed mediators to ensure that “such a framework is developed with a view to involve a broad range of South Sudanese government, political, and civil society actors in a reinvigorated constitutional process”.

Summit participants also welcomed the commitment of president Salva Kiir and the rebel SPLM/A in Opposition to widen consultations with all stakeholders in order to ensure an inclusive process to resolve the conflict.

In line with these commitments, IGAD leaders tasked mediators with organising a series of public consultations with a variety of South Sudanese actors “with the aim of generating input for a framework of political dialogue and national reconciliation”.

The consultations are expected to include political parties, traditional and religious leaders, business communities and other stakeholders, as well as groups representing women, youth, intellectuals, refugees and internally displaced people.

(ST)

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1 February 2014 09:20, by Mr Point

Kiir’s increasing dictator tendencies started the political opposition. The cooked up coup was an attempt to put his political challengers in the prison or the grave.
In two years he has taken the country from independence to civil war. The man has no plan apart from avoiding elections in the party and the country.
He has wasted the oil money without building any hospital or any school.

What is now required is formation of an interim government in South Sudan to prepare for general elections in 2016. Neither Kiir with his cabinet nor Riak and his members will form part of this "neutral group". The South does not belong to them. In extreme case, then South Sudan must dismember into 3 separate countries.

IGAD mem negotiators team, hw comes you demand for inclusive process which shhall involve stakeholders,religious leaders n civil organizations across the country.First IGAD must know that all those national organizations had been dominated by Salva’s puppets,yesmen/women n submissivers whom mostly are from his own clan/tribe Dinkas plus others manipulated cowards tribes who fear Dinkas to death

There is no peace without WAR!!
Uganda mad dogs soldiers will stay in south sudan to fight rebels until they rebels surrender or kill Dr Riek,they said nuer are worrior,you can`t be worrior to the modern weapons,do you know many rebels died in this war,Bor Juba;Malakal,Bentiu?? Is better they died in that way so that
their families get no money to support their children,shame to Nuer,think twice.

http://www.newsnow.co.uk/A/693597482?-21266:20622
Who the damn always approve the UN deployement S Sudan? The UN kills our peoples & it wants to be another govt in our country! Why did Salva Kiir employed that cloned of Deng Majok who has no country, but Europe & the US to represent our country in the UN?

Our peoples don’t want UN troops, but foolish Kiir continue to let them in. What does foolish Gogrial knows about the UN? His sleazy lawyers & advisers have already messed up our country. But he just keep quiet not explaining what he is doing. The fool would be left be with no supporters with his majority fools very soon. And everybody will see how they will fight the bunch....

Nuers, Britain & the US criminals that are now destroying our country. What leader in a war time just kept quiet & hope. That every body will just like him because he from Bhar el Gazelle? If these the leaders that the Bhar el Gazelle region produced, then they must need to prepare for several rebellions. Kiir weaknesses are showing, but his advisers just think that every like their fool.

THE WHITE ARMY VS THE MODERN WEAPONS!!!!!
If you see the video of how these young men being killed in the war in Bor it is terrible!No body even Dr Riek Machar will convince them again to join forces to face SPLA and Uganda army in battle in Bor or anywhere in south sudan.How can you go to battle with sticks and long knives (pangers) to face SPLA and Uganda army with modern weapons like Gunships?

This would sound rather fair on the U.S. side but double standard at the IGAD side given the inclusive notion to the peace talks since the dictatorial government in S.Sudan would have an exceeded advantage in terms of mobility than those in Opposition. The question for the IGAD, how such strategy is going to be achieved and fair? Not the church nor the so-called civil society is neutral.

Continue..., my legitimate concern over IGAD proposal is that the so-called civil society and religious leaders did witness the massacre in Juba and until now never uttered condemnation so far. My take to their silence is that, may be they are either condoned to the massacre or confused. For fairness sake the former sounds to be the case otherwise.

Continue..., it will be a radical illusion to think that religious leaders or others in S.Sudan can be the positive factors on peace building since they are acting as if Juba massacre is a minor case. I rather prefer the U.S. as voice of reason to listen to than Museveni IGAD who is beating two drums of war and peace at the expense of one side to the conflict. In short U.S. is the real voice.

The peace process is not going to work while the government is in a position of impunity for violations of human rights and the constitution.
Kiir has had it too easy for too long. Now that he has invited foreign intervention to South Sudan he will find he will lose power as a result of the brutal things he did to cling to power.
Any future government must be more accountable.

*US urges talks on political reforms in South Sudan amid IGAD demand for inclusive process*
The US should just go & f-ck its self else where. Enough of this evil. All the Nuer rebels were all pardoned, including Yau Yau twice & now for the third time & again. We want to know that country in the IGAD that *demands an inclusive process* And S Sudanese will ask that country in IGAD to....

explain to us what it means *inclusive process* Not every time that Riek Machar would make a coup, rebelled & killed innocent civilians and demand forgiveness. The US & that unnamed IGAD member country that demands that so-called *inclusive process are playing with fire* A lot of innocent civilians have died & a lot people have lost their properties. The US won’t bring those people & properties...

back. The US if it is wise should just shill out a bit. Enough of its evil games it is playing on our peoples & our country has gone too far. If its think that it is our peoples’ oxygen, then it is high time the US remove its oxygen on people noses. The has of becomes an enemy to our peoples than our shifty ally & our people needs to heal & solve this crises minus the US---the evil.

Ayuiu & Tutbol,
don’t cry yet thugs, this is just the beginning. you will see your tribal leaders including kirr in very a bad shape soon. You can’t get away with these terrible atrocities committed by your regime. your cowardice behaviors is beyond doubt.

Wicdail,
You call us thugs, did we killed innocent civilians in & looted Bor, Malakal, Akoba & unity state? What has UN food stores has to do with removing Kiir from power the Nuers? what has the innocent civilians murdered in Bor, Malakal, Akoba & Unity state hasve to do with the Nuers removing Kiir from power? Your supporters in the US wants to give your rebellions a *leg*....

and are trying to call it a opposition when it is the Nuer thugs that only want loot, kiir people for they properties and claim to be fighting for a democracy. S Sudanese are all that fools like yourselves; you fools better look for where people will always allow you to make coups at will, rebel, kill innocent civilians & then demand pardoned & an inclusive process...

Your US & the criminals in Europe that you fools think is going to eat S Sudanese alive is welcomed to come on your fools side, but prepare for a lot of bloody noses and possible reduction of your community to a few tenth.
S Sudanese are starting to realize your evil game with your US-Europeans allies.

Fuck you son of whore Ayuiu Makuac Lam,Gogrial thieves engineers your genocidal regime is almost demising.The whole world knew your cheap cooked coup as to get rid of beloved democratic leader Dr Machar n his strong SPLM prominent members.US,NORWAY,FRANCE,UK, RUSSIA n IGAD members except Kiir’s husband M7 are all support democratic system in RSS. No way foolish Majority.

Bentiu Son
Riak Machar will not be president,
he cannot reform this Republic of south sudan. Riak, we know him very well, he is a most dictator than Kiir.
Otherwise president Kiir can steping down, then Dinkas can decide who can replace Kiir as Dinka even. Riak cann’t get ride of presidency while Dinkas ars alives.

When a simple cattle keeper and an army ranker like Kiir who was never a member of the army general staff who made it to power through luck, this want is what you expect. This bloody tyrant is a liability to South Sudanese all. What is it that Kiir cannot do now till he is re elected in 2015. South Sudanese should reject both Kiir and Machar because their hands are tainted with blood.

Whortti Bor Manza

Absolutely correct, bro. both of them have contributed in this mess and they all deserve to step down to pave the betterment of our new-born nation. How long are we going to be losing people over their hands?

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